Grand Canyon National Park
The road to the Grand Canyon from
the south crosses a gently rising plateau that gives no hint at what is about
to unfold. You wonder if you have made a wrong turn. All at once an immense
gorge a mile deep and up to 18 miles wide opens up. The scale is so vast that
even from the best vantage point only a fraction of the canyon's 277 miles can
be seen.
Nearly five million people travel
here each year; 90 percent first see the canyon from the South Rim with its dramatic
views into the deep inner gorge of the Colorado River. So many feet have
stepped cautiously to the edge of major overlooks that in places the rock has
been polished smooth. But most of the park's 1,904 square miles are maintained
as wilderness. You can avoid crowds by hiking the park's many trails or driving
to the cool evergreen forests of the North Rim where people are fewer and
viewing is more leisurely. The Grand Canyon boasts some of the nation's
cleanest air, with visibility on clear days averaging 90 to 110 miles.
It's hard to look at the canyon
and not be curious about geology. Rock that dates back 1.8 billion years lies
at the bottom. Exactly how the river formed the canyon is still unclear, but
geologists generally agree that most of the cutting occurred within the last
five million years.
Did You Know?
You don't need a ranger to guide
you through the park, thanks to the cell phone audio tours available at popular
sites throughout the park. Look for the "Park Ranger Audio Tour"
signs, call +1 928 225 2907, and enter the stop number. These two-minute
narrated tidbits offer glimpses into the geology, history, and more, and can
even be downloaded onto an mp3 player or iPhone.
